Chapter 774 Interrupted Journey

A swarm of something shot toward Chen Chuan at extreme speed, but just as it was about to enter his attack range, it suddenly buzzed and flew off to the side.

It then circled him ceaselessly from a distance, sometimes approaching, sometimes retreating, as if trying to lure him into attacking.

Chen Chuan got a clear look. They were a species of small, fierce-looking bird with sharp beaks and teeth, and a prominent ruff of feathers around their necks. Each one was only slightly larger than a fingertip; at first glance, one might mistake them for some kind of insect.

These birds appeared incredibly agile. What’s more, they moved as a unified flock, turning, dodging, and shifting as a single entity. Not even one fell behind during their rapid turns.

He had just tried to strike them with his Spiritual Power, but it had little effect. It seemed these creatures possessed a strong resistance to Spiritual Power.

After circling him over a dozen times, darting back and forth, the birds seemed to notice he wasn’t moving and tried to approach again. Yet, the moment they crossed a certain distance, they seemed to sense danger and would buzz away at high speed.

But even as they retreated, they didn’t fly too far off, constantly searching for an opening to attack.

Chen Chuan looked up. The massive, dark flock was so dense it almost formed a black cloud. There had to be at least ten thousand of them. Using Power and a blade against them would be futile; taking out a few would make no difference.

He signaled for Chaoming, who was circling high above, not to approach and to keep its distance. Then, he walked over to the two-wheeled vehicle, unzipped his bag, and took out the Thunder Cannon produced by Longyin Company.

This thing was a semi-biological firearm. The moment he fastened it to his arm, its biological components immediately writhed, rapidly conforming to his arm, climbing up to his shoulder, and locking the rear end firmly in place.

His hand naturally found the Thunder Cannon’s trigger. It wasn’t a trigger for a finger, but a grip for the entire palm, requiring a coordinated push from the elbow to fire.

Since the ammunition packs were already loaded, he simply stood still after equipping the weapon.

After waiting a short while, the flock of birds charged at him once more. However, just like before, they stopped their approach at a certain distance and veered away to retreat.

This time, as if he had predicted their move, Chen Chuan pivoted the arm holding the Thunder Cannon, tracking the flock’s retreat, and then violently yanked the firing mechanism.

BOOM! A fleeting flash of fire erupted from the muzzle.

A massive amount of buckshot spewed from the muzzle, forming two conical spray patterns within a fifty to sixty-meter range. Every single strange bird within that area vanished in an instant, leaving only shredded remains to be carried outward by the blast.

Chen Chuan didn’t stop there. He turned and fired another shot at the remaining strange birds, then turned again for another shot, and then again. In a flash, he had fired four consecutive shots in four different directions, covering all the flock’s possible flight paths.

When he finally stopped, not a single one of the flying birds could be seen. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. As the white smoke from the muzzle and the lingering echoes slowly faded, his eyes fell upon a ground covered in blasted remains of flesh and blood. A few scattered feathers, stuck to the gory mess, trembled rapidly in the disturbed air.

At that moment, the ground suddenly softened slightly. Countless small, ant-like creatures emerged from underground. They swarmed the remains, grabbing them in their mandibles, and dragged them back beneath the earth. Even the blood-soaked soil wasn’t spared; it was collected and moved as well.

In just a moment, all traces of the strange birds’ existence vanished completely.

Chen Chuan gave them a single glance before dismissing them. These little things were usually harmless to living creatures. ’It’s interesting, these insects don’t seem to fear Spiritual Shock either.’

’Most of the creatures I’ve encountered on my journey here were afraid of spiritual attacks. I wonder what makes them different. Is it their unique physiology, or some other reason? That’s certainly worth investigating.’

But there was no time for that now.

He glanced down at the Thunder Cannon in his hands. ’It’s classified as a gun, but it’s really a small cannon.’

’It’s certainly effective at close range. It holds twenty-four ammunition packs in total, loaded two at a time, allowing for twelve consecutive shots.’

’With enough speed, a few shots at point-blank range would severely injure anyone without sufficient protection. Even a Third Limit Fighter wouldn’t be able to withstand it without Horizontal Heart Strength Training.’

’The only problem is that it’s difficult to maintain balance while using it in combat, especially against an opponent of a similar level. They’d almost never give you an opening to adjust. It’s also very easy to destroy. So, despite its immense firepower, its practical application is limited.’

’But in certain specific situations, it’s incredibly useful.’

He tapped his shoulder twice, and the coils wrapped around him loosened. After pulling his arm free, he packed the gun away and put it back into the bag on his side.

’This encounter must have been intentionally set up by the Federation.’

’In fact, I’d already suspected it. The camp had clearly been abandoned for some time. Given the conditions in the Merging Land, there was no way it would remain in the same state as when it was left. Any powders or insect repellents would have long since lost their effectiveness.’

’The only way it could have been preserved was if some creature had claimed this area as its territory.’

’An ordinary person would have had a very hard time dealing with those small birds. You can’t drive them away, and you can’t kill them all. If that were the only issue, it would be fine; a Fighter has plenty of stamina. The real problem arises if they harass you into the Merging Land’s night, or if they destroy your shelter and supplies. Under those conditions, almost no one could endure it.’

’The fact that the Federation could actually use these strange birds is quite an impressive method, but there must be significant limitations to it.’

Lost in thought, he swung himself onto his vehicle and continued to follow the trail left behind by the Federation group.

As evening approached, he saw a second campsite.

Just like before, the mere existence of the campsite meant the Federation had surely left something behind.

He glanced at the sky. He needed to find a place to stay before nightfall, and this spot was actually perfect. It was spacious, and there was plenty of spare firewood and fuel left next to a previously used fire pit.

He parked the two-wheeled vehicle to the side and had Chaoming keep watch from above. Gripping his Snow Monarch Blade, he walked into the campsite, one step at a time.

’I wonder what I’ll run into this time.’

He could sense that the surrounding woods and stream were unusually quiet, different from the rest of his journey. He couldn’t even hear the chirping of birds or the buzzing of insects. ’Whatever is hiding here must be formidable.’

He looked toward the center of the camp where a large tent lay collapsed, as if it were draped over something.

As he drew closer, the thing inside seemed to be disturbed. The tent suddenly pushed upward, and a low roar erupted, powerful enough to make the pebbles on the ground jump.

From beneath the tent, six gleaming eyes shone out, and the thick stench of blood was palpable even from a distance.

Chen Chuan stood calmly. Judging by the sound and its size, it was an enormous beast. The creature stared at him for a moment, seeming very cautious. Instead of charging immediately, it lowered its body and began to slowly back away.

But just as it began this movement, its eyes seemed to go blank for a moment. Then, they suddenly flashed with savage light. With a roar, it charged toward him. Its massive body kicked up a powerful gale, yet the tent remained attached as if it had been sewn onto its body, not thrown off by the motion.

Chen Chuan, however, stood motionless, holding the Snow Monarch Blade. As the monster lunged forward in a sudden leap, before it could even land, the still-sheathed Snow Monarch Blade descended from the front with a speed that surpassed the creature’s ability to perceive. With a BOOM, it struck the beast squarely on its forehead.

The monster’s forward momentum was brought to such an abrupt halt by the blow that it seemed to hang in mid-air for a moment. But its immense weight and momentum couldn’t budge the Snow Monarch Blade even a fraction of an inch. After what seemed like a breath or two, it crashed to the ground with a deafening THUD.

By now, its brain tissue and all the bones in its body had been completely pulverized by the impact of the Power. It lay on the ground like a pile of sludge.

Chen Chuan then stabbed his Snow Monarch Blade into the ground beside him, bent down, and pulled open the inside flap of the tent. Just as he expected, it was covered in painted Esoteric Ritual patterns.

Furthermore, to enhance the ritual’s effect, they had first skinned this unknown beast and then sewn the tent directly onto its body.

This was a completely different style compared to the last campsite.

He studied the patterns. ’The style resembles a ritual of the First People. Is this the work of the Lynx Federation?’

’After the First People were massacred and assimilated, many of their artifacts fell into the hands of the Linax people.’

’It seems the Federation and the Lynx Federation are indeed working together.’

’I need to pick up the pace and catch them. However, after a full day of travel, the two-wheeled vehicle is almost out of fuel. Besides, the deeper I go, the denser the forest becomes and the worse the path gets. It looks like I’ll have to proceed on foot starting tomorrow.’

After considering his options, he dragged the carcass out of the campsite. He returned and inspected the inside and outside of the area one more time. After confirming there was nothing else out of the ordinary, he tidied up a bit, relit the campfires using the available materials, and spread another round of repellent powder. Finally, he chose a relatively dry spot to pitch his tent.

By the time he finished, the sky had not yet completely darkened. He was ready to begin his training. He called Chaoming back, zipped up the tent, then raised his Snow Monarch Blade and sliced open a Rift before sitting down in front of it.

Training in the Merging Land allowed for incredibly rapid progress in one’s Spiritual Power. Of course, this was partly due to the breach in the World Ring. ’If that were to be sealed, even if I could still cut open a Rift, I’d probably face certain restrictions.’

This made him think: ’The continuous leakage of Pure Essence over the past few months must be having a significant impact worldwide. Many Fighters who had previously lost all hope of advancing might now be able to find a new path forward.’

’The world is changing. More and more talented people are emerging. This is a good thing for the fight against the other world, but the struggle for resources is also bound to intensify. The fight to claim Lost Objects can perhaps be seen as a continuation of that struggle.’

He stared at the Rift before him, planted his Snow Monarch Blade in the ground to the side, and then his accumulated Spiritual Power began to welcome the torrent of essence and the unknown that surged from the other side.

...

...